What is the role of a graphic designer in movies and television?

When we think about graphic designers, we associate their work with magazines, books, packaging, and most fields that involve some printed material.

Yet, with the demand for different areas, many learned new tools to evolve from printing methods to digital solutions. It’s a natural progression if we want to keep up with the market and stay relevant.

In television and movies, the common idea is to associate designers with poster design, but, in reality, they’re also combining physical and digital experiences.

And though a demanding field to pursue, it also looks like one of the most fascinating roles a graphic designer can play nowadays.

Why are graphic designers necessary in the Seventh Art?

Besides what the audience sees (and often doesn’t catch), graphic designers are essential in making sets and props for the actors’ experience on set. It helps them create an authentic feel of that time, space, and reality to set the tone for the storytelling and their characters.

Those constructions are what it’s going to help the cinematic world feel authentic and create an immersive believable image on the screen.

We, as the audience, focus our attention on the people and their activities, but, upon a closer look, all of the objects that surround them help build and reinforce messages and storylines.

Additionally, graphic designers are the go-to producers of elements that otherwise would consume a lot of time and money to use. Could you imagine how much would you have to pay a big corporate brand like Coca-Cola to show their actual product on a scene? Now multiply that for all the objects appearing on each movie/series scene. No budget would survive that.

What is the designer’s role, then?

A graphic designer or, to best put it — a team of designers — will help set up a scene on a movie or tv series.

The best, most addictive shows usually have a period, genre, and style that requires a set of physical spaces and props that create the mood that fits that specific world. One example that comes to mind is Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beast movies.

The daily prophet, Newt Scamander's’ passport, Azkaban posters, books, and everything else were created by the graphic designers’ in partnership with the rest of the scenography team. It makes the magic world believable and makes the audience engaged.

And while in some cases the objects are there just for the ambiance, in others as The Grand Budapest Hotel, they take center stage in the movie. Therefore, no detail is too small to leave to chance.

Color, material, and sizing need to be studied and perfected to show on camera the way it does in real life and to avoid further changes and costs in post-production.

Prominent figures/designers whose work you’ve seen on the screen

It’s impossible to mention The Grand Budapest Hotel and the HP franchise without talking about the work of Annie Atkins and MinaLima Studios, respectively.

Annie Atkins started her career on the third series of The Tudors and hasn’t stopped working in the cinematic industry since.
She prefers to work on period filmmaking rather than other genres, and it’s best known for her lettering skills.
From series like Penny Dreadful and movies like Bridge of Spies, Isle of Dogs, and Joker, Annie is one of the most accomplished graphic designers in this industry.

She shares her love for her work in her book — Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps: Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking.

You can also check her last year’s interview for It’s Nice That.

As for Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima — MinaLima Studios — they met on the set of Harry Potter and decided to combine their talent in 2001.
Besides working for the movie industry, MinaLima Studios opened a shop and gallery where they sell reproduction of the wonders that they’ve created for the HP world and other fantasy worlds.

If that’s not the living proof of how much impact designers can have on the 7th art, then I don’t know what it is.

How can you become a graphic designer in this industry?

It’s both easy and hard.
Though there aren’t any particular qualifications for the film industry (at least for now), it’s hard to get your foot inside the door without any experience/recognition.

According to Artwork Bazaar — a community for freelance graphic designers that want to work in this industry — besides having great examples on the portfolio, it’s fundamental to show a real knack for details. Also, developing a unique style, a Unique Selling Point (USP), will open doors to a particular opportunity and, after that, help you build a reputation and a steadier body of work.

So if you want to explore this industry, the best way to start is to explore a style or a period, create your own body of work and share it with the world. Then keep an eye for opportunities. You never know when something that looks small can actually change your entire career.

Conclusion

The wonders of tv series and movies never stop moving older and younger audiences.
Although the applauses often go to the rest of the team, from now on, let’s keep an eye out for every prop and praise the graphic designers’ team for their larger-than-life contribution.